Four Teens Arrested In Home Burglary Spree

MANCHESTER — Police said they halted a crime spree in the west end with the arrest of four teens suspected in a series of house burglaries.

``There'd be more burglaries today, no doubt about it,'' if it weren't for Monday's arrests, Det. Sgt. Michael Ludlow said Tuesday.

The four teens accused of burglary are juveniles, ages 14 and 15. Three are from Manchester, and one is from Hartford, Ludlow said.

A fifth person, James Hudson, 19, of 101 Maple Ave. in Hartford, was charged with interfering with police, Ludlow said, because he lied during the investigation. He was released on a promise to appear in court. The juveniles were released to parents, police said. They will face criminal charges in juvenile court.

Police said they have linked the juveniles to eight burglaries that took place in the past few weeks. The homes were unoccupied at the times of the burglaries, Ludlow said.

The teens would knock on the door or ring the doorbell to see if anyone was home. If no one answered, they would enter through an unlocked door or open window, Ludlow said.

``We're reminding people to lock their doors,'' Ludlow said.

Stolen items included video games and guns. Police said three handguns have not been recovered.

West end residents who believe their homes may have been burglarized recently, but have not contacted police, are asked to call the detective division at 860-645-5510.

Det. Scott McGill cracked the case when he noticed the burglary trend in the area. He asked Ludlow if he could do surveillance, and the sergeant said yes. He sat in an unmarked car on High Street Monday.

``Within 10 minutes, he identified possible suspects,'' Ludlow said.

The four arrests were not immediate, however. The case proved challenging and time-consuming, in part because some suspects lied when questioned, Ludlow said.